


Teenage deductions

by quirrellokayiswonderful



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: School, Sherlock - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-19
Updated: 2015-12-28
Packaged: 2018-02-18 00:42:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2328983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quirrellokayiswonderful/pseuds/quirrellokayiswonderful
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock Holmes and Jim Moriarty are bestfriends and the school troublemakers - but when new boy John Watson comes and makes friends with Sherlock and Sherlock finds himself wanting to focus on school for once, how will Jim take it? And what lengths will he go to, to retrieve his bestfriend?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Glimpse

"As delightful as that'd be Jim, that tedious teacher would know it was us straight away. He may be dim but he's not completely pathetic," said sixteen year old Sherlock Holmes as he walked slowly to school one morning. The other boy turned to look at him. "Come on Sherlock, don't be obvious. He would know it was us anyway, nobody else would try something like that. Especially that swot Lestrade and his gang of no good losers." Jim Moriarty replied, a small grin stretching across his cunning face. Sherlock flicked a dark ringlet of hair from his eye. He was a tall, slim boy complete with glistening green eyes and very structured cheekbones for a boy of his age. Jim, on the other hand, was small and playful. He was complete with wide brown eyes and short brown hair; a cheeky, winning smile. 

"Lestrade's okay. Better than those other clones. But Anderson's face puts me off equations on a daily basis." Sherlock laughed, eyeing a bus which was stopping a little way up the road from them.   
Jim gave Sherlock an amused look. "Did you hear about the new kid? We could have some fun with him, Sherlock ," he asked innocently.   
"What's his name?" Sherlock almost snapped back.   
"John Watson. Just moved here. Started yesterday. Got him in trouble twice already." Jim giggled loudly in a rather sinister way.   
"You're insane." Sherlock replied, somewhat serious.   
"You're only getting that now? Sherlock come on, don't be boring," Jim whined.   
"I'm not boring. I'm just not a machine. " Sherlock explained, piercing Jim with those cold green eyes.   
"Oh.. I forgot you're on the side of the angels. You normally don't mind deducing people until they cry. Come on Sherlock, the crying's the best bit! " Jim laughed again.   
"Mhm." Sherlock replied quietly.

As they walked further up the road, they reached the bus that had just gone past them. Sherlock looked up at the trees as he walked. Why had Jim got such a hatred towards everyone? He hadn't had a bad upbringing. He didn't play violent games and he definitely stopped fights if he saw them happening in the corridors. Thump. Sherlock looked down. A blonde boy around his own age was quickly trying to pick up all the pages he had dropped. 

"Christ, sorry! Didn't see you there mate," he smiled nervously.   
Sherlock studied him closely.   
New creases in the blazer. No stains. Polished shoes, rubbing the boy by the looks of it. Expensive watch. New books. John Watson. Started yesterday.

"Watson. What are you doing?" Jim asked, not bothering to lend a hand.   
Sherlock bent down quickly and scrambled up the last few pages. "Sorry." He muttered quietly.   
"That's okay." John replied, eyeing Sherlock suspiciously.   
"I wasn't apologising to you. I was apologising for you. Try not to be so clumsy next time." Sherlock snapped back. Jim smiled as John pulled a rather disgusted face and began to walk ahead. 

The two boys walked through the rusty school gates. Sherlock could just make out John Watson's blonde head disappearing into a crowd of students. 

A tall, lanky boy with spiky hair and a fag in his hand waved casually at Jim. Sherlock scrunched up his face.   
"Who on earth is that?" He asked.  
"Sebastian Moran. He's a laugh," Jim replied, checking his phone and plopping it back into his pocket.   
"Drug dealer." Sherlock muttered to himself, deducing Moran's features as he had done to John that morning. 

"So? The stuff I got for you was from him." Jim laughed. Sherlock hushed Jim quickly.   
"I don't want the entire school knowing I've done, well you know, " Sherlock paused nervously.   
"I do indeed, Sherlock. Well I'd better be off to English. Yawn. See you later." Jim replied, flashing his brilliant smile. 

Sherlock continued walking towards the main doors of the school. The walk to English was slow and when Sherlock arrived, five minutes late as usual, nobody looked around as he entered the room. This was either because they were used to it, or they were scared stiff of Jim. Maybe a bit of both. Sherlock couldn't tell.

"Ah Mr Holmes, how pleasant of you to grace us with your obnoxious presence." The usual sarcastic voice behind the teachers desk snarled.   
"Well you know Professor Wooding, it is a rather nice morning. Nice to see you're in your usual lovely mood." Sherlock laughed. Wooding craned his long neck to look at Sherlock. "You watch yourself boy." He whispered, raising his eyebrows so more of his small, beady eyes could be seen. He then stood up and made his way swiftly to a large pile of books. 

"Shakespeare today. Holmes, give me a short summary of Romeo and Juliet." He growled. 

Sherlock got hastily back to his feet.  
"The vile tale of a particularly stupid, uneducated pair of dweebs who decide that to make their love everlasting and some other nonsense, they must face death. Boring." He explained, not making eye contact with anyone. Wooding immediately pulled a small blue slip from within his pocket and slammed in onto Sherlock's desk. Detention. 

That pretty much summed up Sherlock's school life. He was forever being sent out of his lessons for stating his opinion. Jim was only in two of his lessons, leaving him alone for most of the day to face people who weren't particularly fond of him. 

The rest of the day went by slowly and after what felt like ages, Sherlock was exiting the school gates alone. Jim was with Moran after school today. The wind was picking up and Sherlock looked up to notice rather dark clouds piling in over the school. He ran for the bus as he felt the first few drops of rain splash onto his forehead. He would not sink to asking Mycroft for a lift. 

The bus was busy. Other students. People with shopping and children. Sherlock went to the last spare seat and sat hastily down, shaking off the rain from his hair as he did so. 

"Sherlock!" a voice complained as water flicked him.   
"Oh, Lestrade. Hello." Sherlock turned to the boy sitting next to him.  
"You can just call me Greg, you know," Lestrade smiled, running his fingers through his silvery hair.   
"No. You're fine Graham. I'm not keen on nicknames. So, have you joined the police cadets yet?" Sherlock asked.   
"My name's Greg! And yeah. But now Anderson wants to join. I told him he'd be better off in the forensics department but he wanted to be with me. It's like he's obsessed with me." Lestrade explained, banging his head out of annoyance on the window.   
"He's had a mild obsession for you for around two weeks." Sherlock explained.   
"How do you-"   
"You see but you do not observe, Lestrade." 

Lestrade laughed, pulling out his phone. "So have you met John yet?" 

"Yes, Briefly." Sherlock replied quietly, playing with seatbelt he wasn't wearing.   
"I'm guessing Jim soon put a stop to that," Lestrade sighed. "Sherlock, that boy's not good for you." He added.

"What is good for me, these days?" Sherlock almost muttered.   
"Well, you can focus on your school work, make friends with someone... What about John? You'd get on well with him, if you weren't tucked up in Jim Moriarty's pocket." Lestrade explained in a parent-like tone.

"I'm not tucked up in his pocket. If anything, he's tucked up in mine." Sherlock growled, fists clenching very slightly. 

"Do you really want him in your pocket?" Lestrade asked, nudging Sherlock gently.  
"Lestrade, I thought it was Anderson who was the patronising one? Or maybe Mycroft." Sherlock said solemnly.   
"Mycroft isn't patronising-"  
"You've never met him, Gavin."   
"Greg! And yes I have, once or twice."


	2. The Science of Deduction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I know I said I'd upload this Saturday night, but reality got in the way as usual.   
> But here's the chapter, and I hope you enjoy it. Thankyou for the support given so far! Happy reading :) ~Liz

"Sherlock dear, I hope you're ready! Jim's here!" Mrs Holmes called. The pounding of feet coming up the stairs. A knock at the door. 

"Hey Sherlock," Jim sang, closing Sherlock's bedroom door after him.   
"Jim. You're early for a change. Still wearing yesterday's uniform, bag is lighter due to the fact you've got no fresh lunch in it, the faint smell of tobacco - you've been at Sebastian's." Sherlock smiled coldly.  
"Oh yeah that reminds me, I came to tell you I'm not walking this morning. Sebastian and me need to go somewhere before school so he's giving me a lift. Gotta dash, he's outside. Cya!" Jim winked and left the room gracefully. 

Sherlock made his way downstairs, grabbing his bag off the stairs.   
"Sherl, I thought you'd left with Jim! Would you like some toast?" Mrs Holmes said as she wondered into the hall in her apron.   
"No and no." Sherlock replied quickly.  
Mrs Holmes turned to smile at Sherlock. She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.   
"I'll get Mycroft to give you a lift, dear." She kissed him on the cheek and re-entered the kitchen.   
"NO!" Sherlock repeated. The thought of Mycroft, Sherlock's older brother, this early in the morning was enough to make Sherlock feel ill. Although it was clear they loved each other, the two brothers had never got along. 

Around half an hour later, as expected, Sherlock was sitting in the front seat of Mycroft's car.

"So then, dear brother of mine, why are you not with that er, friend of yours this morning?" Mycroft Holmes asked, an attempt to break the silence between him and his brother. Mycroft Holmes was a smart, suited man with combed brown hair. He had no resemblance to Sherlock in the slightest and Sherlock was secretly glad of it. 

"So then, how do you know er, Lestrade then?" Sherlock sighed, mocking Mycroft's posh tone.  
"Just from around, not that it's any of your business." He replied.  
Sherlock glanced up out the window.   
"You know why I am not with Jim this morning. You could smell the tobacco too. You're not that stupid." He said.

"Not that stupid. The closest to a compliment I'll ever get from the great Sherlock Holmes." Mycroft laughed while rolling down his window. "What lesson is it this morning then?" He added. 

"Science." Sherlock hissed. That was the last word said on the short ride to school. 

Sherlock wondered quickly into the science block. Science was his favourite. The only subject he felt he had the knack for and a bonus was that Jim was in this lesson. 

He walked in, on time this time, and walked to his usual seat.   
"Oh no Sherlock, stand up! Back of the room... new lab partners today." The teacher smiled, shooing him to the back.   
Sherlock looked down the line of waiting students. Lestrade. Anderson. Jim. And a surprise, John Watson. John caught Sherlock's eye and hastily looked away. 

Meanwhile, the teacher had a hat full of names. "Pick a slip and read out the name of your lab partner." She said, shaking the hat in Jim's face. 

"Molly Hooper." He finally said. A pretty girl with long hair tied up in a ponytail stepped forward.

Lestrade got stuck with a bossy girl in Sherlock's maths class called Sally Donovan. Finally the hat reached Sherlock and he confidently placed his dainty hand into the hat. Oh no.  
"John Watson." He mumbled, looking over at the blonde boy who had now gone very pale. Jim let out a snigger, causing Molly to give him a disapproving look. 

Sherlock and John made their way to an empty desk in the corner of the room which was surrounded by plants. 

"Fill out the first ten pages of your booklets and get to know your partner. I can't stand awkwardness and I know how awkward teenagers can be!" The teacher said kindly. Sherlock was sure she had aimed that comment at him. 

"John, I-"  
"I'm sorry." John cut over him.  
"Okay..."  
"I'm sorry that you were so rude to me. And I'm not sorry that I stuck up for myself. Try not to be so clumsy next time." He gave an almost sinister grin.  
Sherlock held out his hand. " I'm impressed. The name's Sherlock Holmes."   
John smiled back and accepted his handshake. Sherlock winked and John looked extremely confused at this gesture.  
"People seem to like it," Sherlock laughed.   
"So, Jim Moriarty then? You two seem like quite the pair," John asked.

"Jim is interesting, if you like. His facial expressions and hand gestures indicate he could one day make a good criminal. He is devious, he's good at lying and he, er, well... quite frankly spends his money on other things going by the creases in his clothes." He explained, scanning his friend's appearance.

"How did you-" John went silent, studying Sherlock's face. "Do someone else."

"Molly Hooper. She spends most of her time alone or in the library. School planner, scattered with drawings suggesting she has a lower intelligence and gets easily distracted. I deduce, by boys, as she has recently topped up her lipstick; in the last five minutes or so going by the consistency of it on her lips.   
She reads an awful lot, maybe too much as the seams of her bag are tearing in the corners where she has clearly stuffed as many books as she can. She keeps a diary, pink stains on her hands - no one writes in pink on school work. She comes from a poor background, her trousers are at least two years old as they are few centimetres too short for her."

"Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant." John laughed, an expression of shock and excitement on his face. 

"Not the reaction I usually get. Jim tells me it's creepy." Sherlock said quietly, glancing over at him and Molly. 

"Well, he's not the friendliest of lads is he?" John laughed, rolling his pen around on the desk.   
"No I suppose he isn't." Sherlock replied casually, the corner of his mouth twitching into a small smile. 

They were suddenly hushed by the teacher. "Listen up you horrible lot, I am assigning group tasks for homework. You are to work with your lab partner. I want a project about the differences in animal and plant cells. It's due a week today. Molly dear, make sure Jim helps you. He's got a habit of forgetting his homework." She explained. Molly nodded in reply. 

John turned back to Sherlock. "Do you fancy coming to my place tomorrow to make a start on our project? You can have dinner with us too, if you'd like." He asked. 

"Of course, John. Thankyou," Sherlock smiled back with the friendliest smile of which he was capable. 

Sherlock Holmes was not a sociable person but that night he walked back home with a smile on his face.


	3. The Best Day

"Sherlock?" Jim's voice sang behind Sherlock's bedroom door.   
"Just a minute, getting changed," Sherlock yawned loudly, pulling on his shirt. Too late, Jim was already closing the door behind him.   
"Oops, sorry," Jim said, pulling his face into an amused grimace.   
"Er, no problem. Oh by the way Jim, as fun as tonight would have been with Sebastian, I can't make it," Sherlock said, frowning slightly at Jim's amusement.   
"Why not?" Jim snapped back, undoing his bag as he flopped onto Sherlock's messy, unmade bed.  
"I'm starting my project tonight." Sherlock replied casually, narrowly trying to avoid the subject of tea at John's. "Well let me come over and help you, me and Molly aren't starting until tomorrow," Jim stated, starting to open a packet of crisps from his lunch.   
"I'm, er, going to John's and you can't help because you're in a different team!" Sherlock explained trying to smile so he didn't come across as annoyed or boastful.   
"He is a bit goody for my liking. Don't start picking up his good habits, Sherlock," Jim laughed.   
"I may be on the side of the angels, but don't think for one second that I am one of them," Sherlock argued. 

The walk to school that morning was awkward and silent, and Sherlock was repetitively wishing that Jim would suddenly see Moran and leave.   
The bus which passed by every morning came to a halt as usual in front of them. Sherlock's heart gave a leap as John stepped off the bus.

"Hey Sherlock! And oh... hi James," John's voice stuttered as he saw Jim   
beside Sherlock.  
"Jim. Jim Moriarty, hi!" He sang sarcastically in his usual amused tone. John raised an eyebrow and turned back to Sherlock.   
"You still up for later?" He smiled.  
Sherlock nodded in agreement and Jim could be heard muttering "yawn".

Sherlock's fists clenched, his brows squeezing together. Jim was going over the line. Sherlock had often tried to guess how much longer he would last without exploding at Jim. "We'll if this is all so unappealing then why don't you go and find that drugged up idiot that you call a friend!" He shouted, making John flinch.  
"But Sherlock if I leave, you won't be able to cherish the look of surprise on my face," Jim giggled, either unaware or taking the mick out of Sherlock's anger.   
"Even if you stay, it will not be cherished for very long." Sherlock hissed back.   
"Sherlock Holmes. You could do well. You could be great. Instead you act like a suspicious, boring detective all the damn time. I don't have friends. You don't have friends. We're just alike, you and I." Moriarty laughed, not even raising his voice once. 

"No friends, ey Sherlock? What does that make me then, a pet?" John said, trying to restrain himself from choking out a laugh. 

"Watch it, I'm so changeable. John Watson is definitely in daaaanger!" Jim laughed and walked swiftly ahead, his back swinging behind him. Sebastian looked over as he did so. 

"Thankyou John, I'm sorry about that." Sherlock said quietly, looking down at his feet.   
"Try not to be so clumsy next time," John giggled, squeezing Sherlock's arm. 

The rest of the day passed without a hurdle in sight. No more Jim for the rest of the day. The sun shone, Sherlock and John met for break and lunch, and before they knew it, they were on the bus back to John's house. 

"I knew it. Knew you two would find each other eventually!" Lestrade exclaimed loudly to Sherlock on the journey. 

"I guess you were right," John laughed happily in reply. 

Coincidently, John only lived a street away from Sherlock but they had never seen each other on the way to school as John got the bus and Sherlock walked with Jim. 

Sherlock thought John's family were lovely. They had had a roast for dinner and Sherlock had explained the science of deduction to John's sister Harry who was not at all bothered but listened anyway because John had kicked her under the table. They had got a decent front cover and start of an essay done for their project before they got bored and decided to sit in John's bed and watch Doctor Who which was John's favourite show. 

Sherlock felt awfully weird being so close to another boy in the same bed.   
If he had been like this with Jim, then Jim would have threw something at him and called him gay. Maybe this was the difference between a friendship and having a proper friend. 

At around eight o'clock, Sherlock wondered home, his head in the clouds with happiness. He arrived to his mum and dad watching Grand Designs as usual but somebody was in the house who wasn't usually. And being a curious boy, Sherlock looked carefully around the kitchen until he stumbled across a familiar coat on the back of a stool by the breakfast bar. Lestrade's coat. 

Sherlock ran back through the kitchen and jerked his head around the living room door.  
"Mother, has Mycroft got a friend over?" He asked innocently.  
"Oh, yes dear. But don't bother them," She smiled back.

Oh this was too good. So this is how Mycroft knew Lestrade. They were friends. And Lestrade hadn't bothered to mention it to Sherlock which struck him as odd. It was usual for Mycroft to keep Sherlock in the dark but he expected differently of Lestrade. Sherlock was about to reach for Mycroft's door handle but quickly stopped himself. He would have some fun with this.


	4. Rooftop

Friday afternoon drifted by slowly in Sherlock's boring English class. Mr Wooding was attempting to teach the class about the change of personality in Lady Macbeth's soliloquy but pretty much everybody was drifting off into their own worlds, probably wondering what they'd do over the weekend.

Sherlock Holmes sat twiddling his long dark curls in his fingers, thinking up new and unique ideas for his and John's cell project. Well attempting to. He was also imagining how Jim would react when he and John won best project and how they would....  
"SHERLOCK HOLMES! Are you listening to me, boy?" Bellowed the screechy voice of Mr Wooding.  
"Define listening." Sherlock growled, rolling his eyes. 

The familiar blue slip rapidly made its way on Sherlock's desk. He whipped out his phone and sent the following to John - 

Detention. Don't wait up. -SH 

Within seconds came the reply of...

Snap. Wait up. -JW 

Why? -SH 

Didn't fancy hearing Lestrade's love stories about your brother on the way home without you. -JW 

Good choice. -SH 

Sherlock smiled to himself while tucking his phone back into his pocket. So this is what it's like having a friend. 

All of a sudden a small ball of paper landed beside him. He opened it without a second thought. 

"School rooftop. After detention. No rush. Love Jim x" Sherlock read quietly to himself. He swiftly turned and looked suspiciously around the class at who could have sent it. Sebastian Moran and Jim were both not in this class. He was vaguely puzzled until he saw Molly's eyes flick on him for just a second. He whipped back out his phone. 

John, I don't suppose you have Molly Hooper's number by any chance? Reply ASAP if convenient. If not, reply anyway. -SH 

Mary Morstan has it. She's Molly's best friend, and she's sitting next to me. She's sending it to you now, I've given her your number. You're welcome :) -JW 

No later than a few minutes, she had sent it. Sherlock texted back thank you and entered Molly's number into his phone. 

Why are you keeping Jim updated with everything I do? -SH

He promised me a date with you. If I did this 4 him. Molly xxx 

And you believed him? Jim's persuasion skills are not the best. -SH 

Well if the deal's off w/ Jim, I suppose I'd better tell you tht Jim's not 2 happy with John. I'd watch my back if I were him! Pretty sure Jim's planning sumthin but cnt be sure. Molly xxx 

Thank you. But would appreciate not being spied on. -SH 

Ok Sherlock, but don't go 2 the rooftop after skl. Got a bad feeling. Molly xxx

Sherlock didn't tune in to much more of the lesson. All these things were spinning in his head. Why did Jim want to meet him? Was Moran going to be there too? 

John was waiting outside Sherlock's classroom as the class filed out.  
"Hey Sherlock," he said, hand running through his hair.  
"Afternoon John. Lets get the detention over with," he smiled almost through gritted teeth. 

Sherlock decided against telling John about the rooftop meeting.  
"What do you mean you can't get the bus with me? I didn't get that detention for nothing, Sherlock," John was saying.  
"I just can't. See you tomorrow." He snapped back and began to swiftly make his way to the staircase without giving John a second glance. 

A chilly wind had formed in the early hours of the evening and Sherlock wrapped his coat tighter around him as he opened the door on top of the stairwell which led out to the roof.  
The roof was a lonely, dull place. 

Sherlock heard a faint hum, and turned around to see Jim sitting on the edge with his headphones in.

"Jim?" He called, waving his hand in front of the zoned out boy.  
"Oh hello, Sherlock!" Jim stated loudly as if it was a surprise that Sherlock had turned up.

"What do you want? I'm not going to stand around on a roof all day," Sherlock spat out spitefully as Jim tucked his headphones into his pocket. 

"This has been funny, Sherlock. This little game of ours. But when are you ditching him? This is getting boring now." Jim whined. 

"What do you mean ditching him? He's my.... my friend," Sherlock replied quietly. 

"That wasn't a multi-choice question, Sherlock. When ARE you ditching him?" Jim shouted. 

"Oops, well it looks like I answered it anyway. John Watson is a friend to me, he is not devious nor does he blackmail or scam like you." Sherlock was careful to keep his voice steady. 

"Oh we can't have that. Well if you don't ditch him, it will start very soon." Jim sang happily but in a more menacing way. 

"What will?" Sherlock retaliated. 

"The fall," Jim whispered in reply. 

"Is that supposed to scare me?" 

"A little." 

"I've never liked riddles." 

"Learn to." 

Jim stood up and turned on his heel, spinning to face Sherlock. 

"He's not a friend. You don't have friends. No no, John Watson. He's more than that isn't he, Sherlock?" Jim laughed. 

"Who says he is? Maybe I do have a friend for once!" Sherlock retorted. 

"Maybe you do. Maybe you won't," Jim replied. "See you around, Sherlock Holmes."


	5. The Problem

Sherlock lay in bed stiffly that night, looking into the dark. Why was Jim trying to get rid of John? What had he got against him? 

He whipped out his phone from under the pillow and checked the time. 22:57. Would John still be awake? 

Got something to tell you. My house. Tomorrow, 10. -SH 

Around ten minutes passed and his phone lit up...

Right. Sleep Sherlock! -JW 

Sherlock laughed quietly to himself and snuggled down into his quilts. 

The night was very restless and by the time the morning came around, Sherlock was eager to get up. He slipped on his usual weekend clothes and then sat by the window, looking for any sign of John. 

Surely enough just before ten, John approached the gate, stopping to arrange his hair before opening it. Sherlock grinned and began to look casual, packing his bag so he didn't look like he was waiting. 

"Can I come in?" John whispered around the door. 

"You don't have to ask," Sherlock replied quickly. John made his way in and sat on Sherlock's desk chair, one eyebrow raised. "So what's up?"

Sherlock explained Jim's threats on the rooftop and how Molly had been spying on him. 

"Sherlock, why didn't you tell me? I could have came!" John retaliated after Sherlock's story.

"John, I've been with Jim since we joined the school. He has all the traits of a psychopath. And as for Moran, he went to court for attempted murder and got off," Sherlock explained, putting his hands together and resting his face on them. 

"Jesus, Sherlock!! And you went to the rooftop?"

"I didn't know what else to do!"

"Tell me for a start!!! But.. What do you suppose they're up to? Them being that dangerous- this has to be something more than some teenage drama," John explained, checking the time from his phone in his jeans. 

"I don't know, John. And I don't like not knowing," Sherlock sighed. "Wanna find out?" 

"Sherlock how do we do that? Could be anywhere at the weekend!" John exclaimed. 

"John, they're teenage stoners, the park of course, use your imagination!" Sherlock snapped playfully. John grabbed his coat before he gave an answer and before they knew it, the pair were running towards the park; Sherlock's trench coat whipping out behind him. 

As they reached their destination, Sherlock noticed John had gone extremely quiet. 

"Alright?" 

"Yes, Sherlock. Are they there?" 

"Of course they're there, I'm not an amateur." Sherlock laughed, kneeling down by a bush. 

"This is dangerous! No time for jokes, Sherlock!" 

"A bit not good?" 

"A bit not good, yeah."

As the boys looked out from the verge, Moran could be seen, swinging loosely from some battered monkey bars. Jim sat stiffly on a seesaw, hood pulled up tight. 

John gave Sherlock a nudge. "That's their idea of fun?" 

Sherlock grimaced back and carried on observing. "We should get closer," he determinedly announced. 

They scrambled around in the undergrowth. Sherlock knelt down in front of John and began to shuffle along the mud. John leant back a few times to escape having Sherlock's arse in his face. 

At last, they were in listening distance. 

"Jim, why are we doing this? Is someone jealous that Sherlock's got a new boyfriend?" 

"Who said anything about jealousy?" 

"Your face did." 

"Oh aren't we funny today?" 

Sebastian hastily laughed. "Jim, you've got me. Isn't that enough for you mate? Does icky Jimmy need his hand holding by Sherlock?" 

Jim turned away viciously. "Twat. He's my friend." 

John pulled his jacket over his hands, looking down at the floor. "He looks like he isn't plotting anything, Sherlock. He cares about you." He whispered. 

"He's got a funny way of showing it. I thought it was me who didn't know anything of human nature..." Sherlock retaliated. 

John stood up and walked silently back towards the road. Sherlock whipped his head around to take one last look at Jim and then hurried after John, his curly locks bobbing on his forehead. 

Jim's dilated, tired eyes turned to look at the bushes. 

"Sebastian, now they're gone, lets start the elimination process of Mr Watson." He sniggered. 

Moran laughed back, jumping down from the monkey bars. 

"We start first thing Monday. The final problem."


End file.
